Falling into Forks
by operasinger17
Summary: I began it as an innocent enterprise, but it quickly became therapy, and almost filled an entire notebook. What would happen if I were a character in the Twilight story? How would it change? What events would take place? Read it and find out.
1. Prologue and Chapter 1

PROLOGUE:

It was all because of the rain. That's what I've decided to blame it on. How else could all that have happened? If I didn't love rain so much, I would never have gone to visit my brother in Seattle, and I would never EVER have heard of, let alone gone to, that godforsaken little town called Forks.

I let myself flutter around the house for another ten minutes, picking up various forgotten essentials before finally appeasing my dad and shoving my luggage in the back of the car. I gave my mom a big hug and kiss, skipping around the house for the last few things I knew I'd need. Finally, my dad's sour temper managed to get me buckled securely into the front seat and headed for the airport.

I hummed some music under my breath and tried to make conversation with the furrowed brow next to me. The hour-long drive to the airport felt a whole lot longer than it should have. Finally, he let me off, and after convincing him that I'd be able to find my way safely to the terminal by myself, I disappeared through the airport doors for a fun-filled summer in Seattle. My brother Ian had actually been the only one of my siblings _not_ to offer me a place to stay during the summer (except for James, but one really can't expect it from him—he's got a male roommate ... an unattractive male roommate, sadly.). I had managed to coax it out of him only after promising to get a job and not to be too much trouble. I'd been to every corner of the country but the northwest, and I wasn't going to let anything stand in my way. It had partly been the intriguing power-point presentation on Seattle given in my Civics class and partly the pull of the beautiful forests and pouring rain, but one way or another, I was determined to get there.

The flight was ordinary, as they all are. I didn't sit next to anyone particularly interesting or good-looking, though the romantic half of my brain always wishes for an attractive guy to share a four-hour plane ride with. There was just a mildly pleasant middle-aged woman and a snooty-looking businessman. When I looked at that man, I grimaced. _Oh, look ... it's Ian._

Ian was only twenty minutes late picking me up, and the sky was just barely tinted pink when we pulled into his driveway. He lived in a really nice apartment, in the semi-swank part of town. As he constantly reminds us, he works for _Microsoft_. I rolled my eyes, remembering his uppity ways, and let him help me carry my bags in. He led the way to the guest room and then left me alone, telling me dinner would be at seven.

I collapsed on the very comfortable bed with a smile. _I'm going to __**make**__ this fun ..._

Almost a week passed in utter boredom. I still hadn't found a job that I liked, and Ian was beginning to get on my nerves with his constant debates about religion, politics, and any other subject that he thought would irk me enough to lose my composure. Finally, I knew I had to get away. But where would I go? I couldn't go back home, obviously ... Ian was the one paying for my flight, and he would probably be all offended when I said that the reason I was leaving was that I couldn't stand the sight of him for one more day.

I took to mindlessly surfing the internet (he _did_ have a really nice computer, even if it was outfitted with Vista). I came across a page one day that piqued my interest. Forks. Forks, Washington, apparently had the nation's highest annual rainfall. The pictures I found were all greener than green, with woolly gray clouds padding the horizon. I smiled serenely as I browsed through the pictures, then abruptly looked up the town on MapQuest. I could get there in just four hours by car.

I was determined. Scowling at the prospect of a long ride trapped in a large metal box, I printed out the sheet about Forks and went to talk to Ian.

CHAPTER ONE:

I went to Forks. I rented a car and drove the long way by myself. Well ... me and my mp3 player, anyway.

When I finally arrived, it was near lunchtime, and I practically needed a machete to slice through the heavy, humid air. I stopped at a local diner and collapsed in a chair, my head on the counter. I don't do too well with driving for long periods of time. The buxom woman behind the counter slid a glass of ice-cold water to me.

"Can I get you anything?"

I looked up, shocked to be out of a car. "I, uh ... sure. Something solid. Preferably ... I don't know. Give me a minute."

I put my head back down on the counter. She was torn between worry and snorts of laughter at my strange behavior. Finally, I looked up at her again, somewhat more composed than before.

"I ... yeah, I'm hungry. And broke. What could I get that's cheap, healthy, and filling?"

She laughed at me. "Cheap? You look poor enough. I'll give you a discount. Healthy? I don't know about _that_, but I'm sure we can fill you up. Just give me a few minutes. I hope you like surprises."

I smiled at her and allowed myself to once more stare vacantly off into space. Just before she came back, I turned and looked out through the enormous window panes, at the approaching storm. Lightning flashed from miles away, lighting up the foggy sky. I gazed out at the dazzling landscape and was only interrupted when the woman came back with a steaming plate—a hamburger and baked potato. A tall glass of cold milk was next to it, and an apple. I smiled gratefully and ate.

After paying, I turned to go out the door, but she stopped me.

"You aren't from around here," she said.

"No, I'm not."

She smiled again. "I can tell. How about you pick up a raincoat and an umbrella? If you're going to be here for any length of time, you'll definitely need it."

"Oh, no, I --"

"_Trust_ me." She looked me up and down once and chuckled. "You'll need one."

I was confused, but allowed her to point me toward a store that sold umbrellas.

"Newton's sporting goods is just down that way," she said, pointing.

I set off down the road and very soon understood what she meant. The rain had come on suddenly, and it was not at all as I'd imagined. It wasn't like the warm rains of late summer in Chicago—it was a full-on frigid downpour. I was wearing jeans and a hoodie, both of which became as heavy as weights when wet. I slogged down the road, hardly able to enjoy the rain because my clothes were so heavy. It was only a block or two away, but it seemed like a lot longer. By the time I went through the door, my hair was dripping into my face and my clothes were sagging off of me. I had to hold up my jeans as I walked to keep them from sliding off.

The tinkling bell sang out my arrival and I looked around the store, looking very much like a wet cat, or maybe a street urchin.

"Um ..." I started.

Immediately, a fairly good-looking teenage boy came jogging out from behind the counter and looked me up and down, wearing a sympathetically mocking smile.

"Not from around here?"

I scowled. "How come everyone keeps saying that?"

He just laughed. "That storm wouldn't catch anyone around here off-guard. You, uh ... come in here for an umbrella? Or a raincoat? Boots? Hat?"

"Ha ha ... very funny. Maybe a raincoat. I'm on a tight budget."

"Okaaay ..." he led me over to a rack with all kinds of raincoats, pointing out the various charms of each. I finally decided on a bright pink one, designed for children. It was a little short in the sleeves, but it was better than the army-green utility camping gear ones that would have drowned me. I quickly bought the raincoat and pulled off my hoodie, replacing it with the new coat.

The boy's eyebrows raised at the sight of my wet white camisole, but I quickly buttoned the raincoat and he cleared his throat.

"You ... going to be in town long?"

I shrugged. "Depends."

"On what?"

"The weather ... whether or not I can find a job ... or a place to stay."

"Well ... we're hiring _here_," he said a little hopefully, "Katie had to quit."

I looked around, and wasn't surprised. He was the only one I could see in the whole store, and there was a comfortable amount of business.

"I, uh ... okay," I said, "how's the pay?"

He shrugged. "A little over minimum wage."

"That'll work," I said quickly. He looked confused, and I explained. "Okay, so I'm from Utah. I was staying with my brother in Seattle, but hated it, because he annoyed the heck out of me. So ... I came here, because the Internet said it rained a lot. And apparently ... the Internet wasn't lying, for once."

He laughed out loud at that. "Oh, that's funny. You knew about the rain and you wanted to come anyway?"

"Yeah. I miss humidity. Moving from Illinois to Utah was pretty rough."

"Illinois? That's cool."

"Yeah, it was great."

There was a slightly tense awkward silence before he finally continued.

"You know, uh ... my brother left for college a year or two ago, and we have a spare bedroom in the basement. As long as you don't ... I don't know ... smoke crack or anything," I laughed, and he continued. "I'm sure my mom would let you stay, if you were working here."

"What? Does she run a home for wandering teenagers or something? That's kind of a lot to ask."

He shrugged and turned a little red. "It's worth a try though, right? What could happen?"

I smiled at him. He was a nice guy. He seemed embarrassed. Clearing his throat, he looked me up and down quickly.

"I'd, uh ... recommend you get changed first, though ..."

I realized why looking presentable was so important once I'd met his mother. She wore high heels and perfectly dyed and styled hair for working around the house. Her kitchen was absolutely immaculate. I could tell now why Mike looked so unusually _clean _for a teenage boy.

Unfortunately, I'm the sort of girl that is far more popular with boys' _moms_ than with the boys themselves. Mrs. Newton immediately took to me and showed me the room, offering me the job without so much as an interview.

"But ... don't I have to fill out an application? Have an interview?"

She waved that away. "Pssh. Of course not. You can make umbrellas look nice on a rack, and you seem like a hard worker. And you're not stupid—all those English awards! How interesting! And you said you sang, too?"

I was stuck, whether or not I wanted to be. Fortunately for me, I _did_ want to be ... for now, at least.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO:

We fell into a gradual pattern, Mike and I. We worked the same shifts, and walked to work together every day. I had the sinking suspicion that somehow his mom was behind all of it, and that suspicion was confirmed one bitter day a few days after my arrival.

When organizing the shelves just before taking a lunch break, Mike confronted me, nervously clearing his throat.

"Um, Mary?"

I looked up, tucking a frizzy wisp of hair behind my ear. The humidity was great for breathing, but not so much for coiffing.

"Yeah, Mike?"

"Hey, I was just wondering ... tonight? --Or, or tomorrow night—would you want to maybe grab something to eat? Or go see a movie?"

I felt something was slightly amiss. Perhaps it's due to the fact that I just simply _never_ get asked out, but I didn't believe him for some reason.

"Mike? Did your _mom_ put you up to this?"

He reddened and immediately looked away. I did exactly the same, quickly turning back to the shelf and organizing products. He hastily tried to fix the damage done.

"No! It's just ... it's not that, Mary. She _did_ give me the idea, but it really sounded like fun."

I let out a gusty sigh and smiled at him. "It's okay, Mike. Really. I'm generally pretty popular with guys' moms."

"Guys?"

"Yeah. With their _moms_. With the actual guys, I'm sort of out of luck."

I was just making him feel guilty now. I quickly tried to ease the sting. "But ... it's fine. You said you wanted to do something anyway? No pressure?"

"Yeah, no ... no pressure."

I smiled. "A movie sounds great. We could go dutch if you wanted ..."

"No, no. I ... my mom's paying." He rolled his eyes and we both started laughing.

"Well, that sounds great. Find a show you want to see and we'll go."

We went to the movies that night—no pressure, no expectations. Just as friends. It was strangely relieving. Free from the real question—the one that people go on dates to answer in the first place--"Do I really like this person?"--it was relaxing and fun. The movie was just like any other that had recently come out in theaters, and we both laughed and gorged ourselves on greasy popcorn.

I woke up late the next morning, relishing the promise of a day free from dull work at the sporting goods store. I tossed on one of my more girly outfits and coaxed my golden hair to pour lazily across my shoulders and down my back in loose waves. Today was going to be a good day. I could feel it.

I strutted down the street in heels and bermuda shorts, toward the grocery store. A yellow patch of hazy sunlight stole across the sky, casting a golden gleam on the rest of the thick, gray expanse. I pushed a cart through the one tiny store in town, restocking the basics—toothpaste, shampoo, and lip gloss. As I looked over the scant beauty products, trying to find a lip gloss that would suit, I heard a surprised sounding voice.

"Rosalie? What are you doing in the--"

I turned, confused, and she stopped abruptly, turning pink. "I—sorry. I thought you were someone else."

It was a girl my age. I smiled in relief. It'd been a while since I'd seen one of those. She turned to walk away, embarrassed, but I stopped her.

"No. Hey, wait! Who ... who did you have me confused with?"

She shrugged. "This girl I know named Rosalie. She's ... she's blonde, too."

"Oh."

She seemed like she wanted to go, but I wasn't finished yet.  
"So ... I'm just visiting. What is there to do around here?"

"Nothing," she said a little too quickly.

I was taken a little aback.

"I ... _nothing_?"

"Not really, no. If you want to do a little shopping, Port Angeles is reasonably close, but there really isn't much in Forks."

"I could ... see that. Um, let's ... can we start over? My name is Mary-Celeste. And you are ...?"

"Bella."

I held out a hand, and she shook mine, then turned to leave.

"Okay, listen. I'm getting the feeling that you _really_ don't want to talk to me."

She turned pink again and smiled weakly, looking embarrassed.

"I just ... need some estrogen. You see, I'm working at the sporting goods store, and--"

"Oh, Newton's? Me, too."

"Oh, cool. Why haven't I seen you before?"

She shrugged. "Different shifts, I guess."

"Anyway ... I could really use a ... well, a girlfriend to hang out with. And ... obviously, since you apparently don't seem so inclined, could you point me in the direction of some friendly girl to talk to about lipstick or something with?"

"Lipstick?" she smiled.

I shrugged, trying not to be embarrassed. It looked like she was just about to reply when someone else breezed down the aisle, and I had a little trouble catching my breath.

I'd never seen a guy so ... so _perfect_. He had the bone structure and physique of a Greek god, and icy pale skin. His eyes were an interesting caramel color, and his hair fell perfectly over a well-formed forehead. I gibbered silently in my mind. _My, but he's incredibly good-looking. Is that how they make them in Forks? It must be a well-kept secret ... my __**goodness**__, but he's good-looking. I wonder if they've had plastic surgery. Perhaps it's even a woman with a really ... really really good job done ..._

The young man frowned and turned to Bella.

"Bella? Who is your new ... friend?"

"This is Mary-Celeste. She's visiting from--"

"Utah." I reached out to shake his hand and was startled at how cold it was, considering the hot weather. I felt the urge to pull away, but didn't. His lip twitched in a smile and he looked at me quizzically, staring right into my eyes with his strange amber ones.

_Why is he __**staring**__ at me like that? Weird. I wonder if they're dating? They seemed awfully familiar. How odd. A girl with no apparent friends and a ridiculously dish-y boyfriend. I wonder if he beats her or something, and keeps her from getting other friends. It does seem strange. He's so very ... possessive._

He suddenly frowned. His brow darkened.

"Bella?" he asked again.

She turned to him. "She, uh ... is visiting and said she needed some ... female companionship."

He looked at me again, slightly suspiciously.

_Oh, gross! When you put it __**that **__way it sounds like I'm a lesbian. I like boys, I promise! ... But I can't just come out and __**say**__ that. It would just sound even more weird. Oh, I hate situations like this ..._

The boy smiled again, as if laughing at a private joke.

"Well? Do you have plans or anything? To see a movie, perhaps? Or go shopping?"

She started to shake her head, but he looked at her a little sadly, and she sighed and turned to me.

"Sorry. I ... wasn't really polite. I'm probably just a little more out of it than usual today. _Do_ you want to do something? Where are you staying?"

"In Mike Newton's basement."

The boy let out a sudden snicker and I wondered what was so funny. Bella poked him and smiled at me, trying not to laugh.

"Mike Newton?"

"Yeah. I'm uh ... working at their store? His mom offered me the basement, and ..." I trailed off. _And practically planned the wedding_, I thought to myself. _Why __**is**__ it that I'm such a favorite among mothers? _

The boy smiled again laughed softly under his breath before turning to Bella. "I was just about to go home. Did you want me to drop you and Mary off at your house?"

Bella nodded, looking slightly pinched.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE:

The boy (whose name I found out was Edward) and I helped Bella carry in the groceries. When finished, he went over to squeeze Bella's hand and kiss her cheek. Even though they weren't being terribly mushy, it still felt ridiculously intimate and awkward. I couldn't help but catch a snatch of their conversation.

"But--"

"Bella, I'm worried about you."

"You're _always_ worried about me," she grumbled, folding her arms sullenly.

"You've given me great cause to be in the past. Now ... I want you to put _all_ of this out of your mind—the wedding, Dartmouth ... and just have some normal, human girl fun."

I thought it a little strange that he seemed to place such emphasis on the word "human", but I let it pass. After all, the words "wedding" and "Dartmouth" sort of caught my attention, too. I busied myself with putting away groceries as they finished their conversation.

When Edward finally left, I found myself suddenly without words—an incredibly rare phenomenon. I cleared my throat a little awkwardly.

"Well, he's certainly ..." I searched for an appropriate word, "... attractive."

She laughed a little. "Yes, he definitely is."

We lapsed into an awkward silence, standing around the kitchen table. I began to regret my impulsive decision to befriend her. This sort of instant friendship worked fine on the playground ... but here? Now? It didn't seem to be panning out as it should. Why couldn't I have chosen someone less dramatically silent, swimming around on a cloud of her own thoughts?

"I ... sorry. I'm not very good company," she finally said.

I waved her off. "I probably came on a little strong. You know ... basically inviting myself over before you knew anything about me, or me you ..."

She smiled and seemed a little more at ease.

"So ... who was that girl you mistook me for earlier? Rosie?"

"Rosalie. She's Edward's sister."

My jaw dropped. "His _sister_? You had _me_ confused with _his_ sister? Anyone related to him would have to look like Aphrodite."

She laughed. "She's incredible, actually. She looks like a movie star or a model ... or maybe a goddess."

"Barbie-doll blonde?"

"Something like that."

"Wow. Well, I'm flattered."

"You actually _do_ look a little bit like her."

"Really? Thanks!"

She smiled again.

"And ... sorry for being so nosy, but ... wedding? What wedding is this?"

She sighed and turned away, pulling a mixing bowl out of a cupboard. "Mine."

My jaw dropped. "Y-yours? I'm sorry, but you only seem about eighteen-ish. How old _are_ you?"

She laughed sardonically. "Eighteen."

I was quiet. "Oh."

She pursed her lips and smiled as if stuck between laughing and groaning. I couldn't think of anything to say. I swear, it was like talking to a wall, or maybe a TV screen.

"So ... Edward?"

"Yes."

"Sounds good ... I guess. You seem ... happy?"

She sighed a little and thought to herself, smiling. "I ... yeah. I guess I am. Happy, that is."

"You're lucky to have found the person you want to spend forever with so early in life."

She jerked her head to stare at me, looking at me suspiciously, as though she were seeing me for the first time. 'Forever?" she whispered, sounding a little nervous.

I reddened under her stare. "Well ... yeah. ...You don't believe in an afterlife?"

She relaxed a little. "Oh ... I suppose I do, yes."

"Well ... I think we stay with the ones we love when we die."

She smiled a little sadly. "I suppose you're right. Makes sense to me."

She finally seemed to open up a little after that, and we talked a little bit about music, then moved on to books.

"I like _Pride and Prejudice_ a lot," she confessed.

I slapped my hand down on the table for emphasis. "I _love_ it. Best love story ever. Can't be beat."

She smiled as if enjoying a private joke and then sighed a little. "It's my favorite Austen novel."

"Oh, mine too, definitely. The best dialogue, most accessible plot ... it's a work of art," I sighed. "Oh, but I want a Mr. Darcy ..."

She laughed at my fervor, eyes sparkling, looking like she was actually having fun.

Only a moment after that, the doorbell rang, and a second after _that_, the ringer of the doorbell skipped right into the kitchen.

"Alice!" Bella cried.

"Hi!" She bounded into the kitchen, seeming to float just a centimeter or two above the floor. She was short and very thin, with two-inch-long, spiky black hair and eyes exactly the same strange shade as Edward's. She turned to me and I smiled.

"You must be Edward's sister," I said.

She seemed a little surprised. "You told her about me, Bella?"

Bella shook her head and shrugged. I smiled. "It's the eyes," I explained.

She nodded and looked me up and down. Suddenly, she gasped._ "Cute _shoes!" she cried.

I lifted up the heel of one of my hemp and suede wedges and smiled. "Thanks. And I _love _your top. Where did you get it?"

"Oh, somewhere in New York," she said carelessly.

"That's cool. I've only been there once."

"It's a blast. It rained almost the entire time we were there on vacation, and we _still _had fun." She flashed a subtle grin at Bella that didn't escape my notice. She turned to me. "So when did you go to New York? Was it for a vacation?"

I shook my head. "No, it was last summer. I performed in an off-Broadway theater."

She seemed surprised. "Really? Were you in a play?" she asked, sounding genuinely interested.

I blushed. "Oh, no ... nothing like that. I was in an acting workshop in upstate New York ... we had our performance in the Orpheum theater. We just did monologues."

"The Orpheum? I went there to see "Stomp"! You got to _perform_ there? That sounds really fun!"

I shrugged, a little embarrassed. We chatted pleasantly for a few more minutes about clothes and various decor, until Alice's cell phone rang.

"Hello?" she said sweetly. "Jasper," she said, the name tripping off her tongue as if it caused her joy just to make the sound. She listened for a few minutes, and then rolled her eyes. Finally, she laughed. "yeah, okay. I'll grab it for you. Okay. Okay ... Mm-hmm. I'll see you later. Bye."

She closed the little cell phone and rolled her eyes once more. "Jasper wants me to pick up some old war documentary for him while I'm out."

Bella laughed. "Why didn't you tell him to get it himself?" she asked.

Alice shrugged. "He has issues with the rental place's manager. Something about a debate on the tactics used in the civil war ..."

Bella laughed again. She seemed a lot happier with Alice and Edward than with other people. Or maybe it was just me.

"Anyway," Alice continued, "I came to invite you over for the evening. Do you want to come over after you eat dinner?"

"Sure. Sounds great," Bella said, "Did you have anything particular in mind?"

She shrugged. "Not specifically, no. I guess we could always play Scrabble if we got desperate, though."

"I love Scrabble," I said, almost sounding defensive.

Bella looked at me as if she'd forgotten I was there, seeming a little embarrassed. Alice noticed and turned to me. "Oh, you're invited too of course, Mary."

I grinned. "Thanks."

"That's ... if you're not busy?" Bella said quickly. I frowned a little. It sounded almost like she didn't _want_ me to come.

"No ... no, I don't have any plans ..."

Bella's eyes went back and forth from Alice to me with a look of confused shock.

Alice's smile became a bit stiff. "Bella?" she said, "wouldn't that be nice?"

Bella cleared her throat meaningfully. "Well ... _I'm_ fine with it, but ... what about the rest of the family? They're fine with it, too? You're sure_ Jasper_ wouldn't mind?"

There seemed to be an extra meaning hidden behind her words; my brow knit together as I tried to figure out what it was.

Alice laughed lightly and waved Bella off. "Bella! You make it sound like we _never_ have visitors. What about that graduation party we threw just a couple weeks ago? That was a night to remember!"

Bella smiled, but it was wooden. "Yeah. That was ... really fun."

Alice's smile stiffened as well. I rolled my eyes. These hidden meanings and veiled references were driving me absolutely crazy.

"Anyway," I broke in, "that sounds really nice. Thanks for inviting me, Alice."

She broke from her semi-trance and smiled at me. "Okay. I'll come and pick you two up when you've finished eating dinner."

Bella quickly turned to me. "Um ... do you want to stay for dinner?"

"Sure! Can I help with anything?"

She seemed a little jarred by my enthusiasm and an involuntary smile sprang to her face. "How are your biscuits?" she asked.

I winked. "Perfect."

"Great!" Alice said, clapping her hands together. "It's settled, then. I'll see you later"

Bella looked at the clock. "Sounds great, Alice! Anyway, Charlie should be getting home, soon--I'd better hurry and pull dinner together."


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR:

Several minutes later, Charlie walked through the door to find two girls covered in flour and laughing in the kitchen, sausage sizzling merrily in an electric frying pan. He grinned broadly, the corners of his eyes wrinkling up.

"What's all this?" he asked, seeming pleased.

Bella smiled at him. "Oh, we were just ... making dinner. Ch—Dad, this is Mary-Celeste. She's visiting from Utah."

I offered him a smile and a flour-covered hand, which he accepted. "It's nice to meet you, sir."

"You too," he said, sounding sincere. "It's good to see you making new friends, Bella."

She seemed a little embarrassed, but smiled, and shot a look my direction. It didn't want a reply—she seemed to be appraising me somehow. I raised an eyebrow and she just smiled and looked away, a tiny bit happier than before.

"Heard from Jacob lately?" Charlie asked casually, flipping a newspaper open.

The reaction was instant. Bella stiffened, gripping the spatula with white knuckles. Her teeth were clenched together and she grimaced. I was worried.

"Bella?" I asked softly.

She pulled herself together. "No, Dad. I haven't. I think he's still ... out of town."

"Oh, that's too bad."

Bella turned back to the gravy, stirring with fervor. I pulled plates out of the cupboard as Charlie sauntered into the living room. The sounds of a baseball game soon floated through the air. There was an awkward silence as I set the table. The oven timer beeped, and Bella was still looking a little shaken, for the same mysterious reason. I slipped on an oven mitt and pulled golden brown biscuits out of the oven. I took the green beans out of the microwave, placed the biscuits in a towel-lined basket, and set them on the table. Then I filled the glasses with water. By the time the last glass was filled, she seemed to have recovered.

She seemed surprised that dinner was all ready when she set the gravy on the table. She moved to tell Charlie to come in to eat, but I stopped her.

"Bella," I said quietly. "Something is bothering you. It's _bad--_something about this Jacob guy. Now, I know it's none of my business ... but you seem like you need to get this out. I'm a pretty good listener, and I ... well, I'm here for you, Bella. Here if you need it."

She blinked a couple times and smiled hesitantly at me. "Thanks," she whispered.

"I'm also great at keeping secrets," I added meaningfully .

This seemed to spark her back to life. Her eyes widened as she looked at me, ever so slightly, and she left to fetch Charlie.

After dinner (during which I was interrogated heavily by Charlie and apparently passed the test—as I said? Parents love me) we began the dishes. We were close to being finished when Alice cheerily rang the bell again and popped her head in the door.

"Hello?"

"Come on in, Alice," Charlie said, sounding friendly.

"Hi, Charlie." Alice smiled. "Bella? Are you ready to go?"

"Just a second!" She called. She quickly washed the last dish and handed it to me to dry, wiping her own hands off on her jeans. She slipped into her sneakers as I put the plate in the cupboard and snatched my purse.

When we appeared in front of Alice, she grinned, looking keyed up. "You ready?" she chirped. I smiled. Her energy was infectious.

"Love the bag," she said. "Where'd you get it?" she asked slyly.

"The French Market. It's _obviously_ not a real Prada bag." I shrugged. "Good choice for a tight budget."

She nodded wisely. "Good choice for _any_ budget," she said, "It's cute."

"Dad?" Bella said. "We're all going to the Cullens' for the evening. ... Okay?"

"Sure."

I was aware of it as soon as the door closed and we walked out to the car. There was ... something a little_ off_ in the air. I couldn't quite decide why I was feeling so nervous. It could have been Alice's too-tight grip on the steering wheel, or Bella's curious but worried expression ... or the awkward silence we lapsed into as we drove down quiet, winding roads.

After what seemed like a long time, we turned into a narrow crack between the trees, almost overshadowed by the green growth, and down a very _very_ long driveway. Finally, we rounded a bend and the house came into view ... if you can really call it a _house_. It was more like a mansion. I gasped softly. It was absolutely beautiful. White, with a sweeping, wrap-around porch and old-fashioned wooden moldings. I'd already guessed they were rich from the cars and the clothes, but this was breathtaking. It made me think of ... romance. Charm. The Victorian era. I smiled and allowed myself to be carried away on one of my frequent whimsies. All of my nerves vanished as we walked up to the wide porch and the double doors.

Alice opened the door, and Bella and I followed. As soon as I was through the door, my nerves came back with a jolt. There was one _angry_-looking person in the huge living room, seemingly waiting for us to arrive. Edward stood when we arrived.

"Alice," he said lividly, "What do you _think_ you are doing?"

I backed away involuntarily. I suddenly noticed how very pale his skin was—abnormally pale, and with the golden eyes and the godlike face twisted angrily ... he was quite terrifying. I don't know that I'd ever seen anyone that looked less ... well, _human_.

Alice seemed a little nervous, too, but she smiled cheekily. "Gee, Edward. Thanks for the warm welcome," she said sarcastically.

"I thought we'd talked about this," he said more quietly, as if he'd noticed my terrified expression.

She waved him off. "Oh, come on. What's one more?"

Edward pursed his lips, but seemed a little less angry. He looked right into her eyes, a little confused at first, but then reluctantly gave a half-smile, chuckling a little.

"I might have known ..." he muttered almost inaudibly. "Okay, _fine_." He turned to me. "It's nice to see you again, Mary-Celeste. How was your afternoon?"

"It was lovely, thank you," I said, my voice shaking only minimally.

"Alice? I hope you've talked to Jasper." He sounded a little worried.

"Oh, he'll be fine. We went on ... Wednesday, I think."

Edward still seemed apprehensive.

"Oh, come on, Edward. _Relax_. Just wait. Don't you trust me?"

He finally relaxed and sat next to Bella on the soft leather sofa. I noticed a dazzling grand piano on a raised platform in the corner of the room.

"Oh," I sighed softly. It was a _Steinway_. I stared at the black wood, polished to a glossy sheen, and then looked around the room at the mostly bare walls and the fairly low furniture. There had to be _amazing_ acoustics in here.

As I looked around, Edward and Bella spoke in low murmurs and Alice stared off into space. When I came back down to earth, I opened my mouth to speak, but just then, an incredibly large man came through the door, laughing loudly at something a very tall, muscular man had just said. Alice abruptly stood and walked daintily over to the very tall one, stepping up on tiptoe as high as she could reach to give him a kiss. I smiled. There was more than a foot of difference in their heights.

"Hi Emmett; Jasper," Bella said pleasantly. I looked at her as she spoke, and was a little surprised. I hadn't quite realized it until now, but ... there was something different about these people. They were all so divinely beautiful. The heavily muscled man, Edward, the tall one, Alice ... They all had the same hard-looking white skin and golden eyes. It was incredible. But what amazed me wasn't the fact that they all looked so remarkable—it was how very ordinary Bella looked when held in contrast. She was lovely; I'd noticed it before. She had large brown eyes and straight white teeth. Her bone structure was passably lovely, and she was quite slender. But these people ... there was something eery about their perfection ... about the way they all had the same dark circles under their eyes, as if they were all perpetually sleep-deprived. If Bella seemed plain in comparison, I shuddered to think of what _I_ must look like to them.

Emmett, the heavily muscled man, looked at Bella in response and grinned. "Hey, Bella. Hey ..." He suddenly noticed me, and he frowned a little. There was a heavy silence as Jasper noticed me, too, and his beautiful visage darkened.

I swallowed loudly and smiled weakly.

"Um ... Hi. I'm ... Mary-Celeste."

Jasper shot Alice a frustrated look and raised his eyebrows significantly. Without a second glance at me, he turned on his heel and vanished into the study. Alice followed him, as did Emmett. Three others suddenly came down the stairs. The woman with the caramel-colored hair and the breathtaking blond I instantly knew to be Rosalie glanced once at me, then glanced at Alice, who was finally starting to look a bit sheepishly repentant. Another beautiful blond man started down the stairs, but stopped halfway down, as if he'd been punched in the stomach. His face clenched as though he were in pain, and his jowls twitched. With intense eyes, he shot a gaze at me and stopped. He took one step closer to me, his nostrils flaring. I scooted to the very edge of the couch. Suddenly, Edward was there. He put an arm around the blonde man that would have seemed comforting if it hadn't looked like he were squeezing him to death. Together they walked into the study. Bella followed, looking concerned. I was alone.


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE:

I suddenly found myself alone in a house filled with strangely beautiful people that all seemed to ... hate me for some reason. Carefully, I sniffed at my armpit. It smelled like deodorant. _So it can't be the smell ..._ I thought to myself, then forced myself to put it from my mind. It was stressing me out too much. Why should I even care if they liked me at all?

I twiddled my thumbs and shuffled my feet as I waited for them to return. I once again found myself drawn to the glossy black piano. I'm not quite sure why I didn't have the urge to run away, because I certainly felt threatened—all those ominous glances—but I didn't. It was probably my unfailing devotion to utter common sense. If my paranoid feelings were correct, running away wouldn't get me very far from _these_ people. I was also in a town that was incredibly unfamiliar, far away from any recognizable landmark, and without a form of transportation. I stayed put.

To quell my nerves, I stood and walked over to inspect the piano. The ivory keys were velvet-soft and pleasantly worn from frequent use. I sat on the padded bench and tentatively pressed a pedal, striking a couple of octaves. When the swarm of people didn't immediately burst forth, I struck the chords again, and launched into my favorite song—The Maple Leaf Rag. I pounded the keys, admiring the solid but smooth way they gave under my touch, and the rich sound that flowed from the gorgeous instrument.

As the tricky section came, I vaguely noticed people at the corners of the room. I focused more than ever on making no mistakes, but it was difficult. Finally, I repeated the chorus and then slowed—ending with the chords I'd started with.

I sheepishly looked up at my audience. Esme and Alice smiled and clapped. Edward looked as if he were grinning in spite of himself.

"You're pretty good," the woman with the caramel-colored hair said.

I blushed. I was _not_. _She wouldn't be saying that if she knew that was the __**only**__ song I can play, _I thought,_ Whoever wore those keys down is probably in this room right now—what a humiliating thought ..._

Edward smiled comfortingly at me. "Not bad. A Joplin fan?"  
I smiled shyly. "Yeah. It was my life goal to be able to play that song."

He laughed. "Well, it's nice that you can be so close to your goal this early in life."

I smiled. "I suppose it is."

"Are you very musical?"

"No, not at all. I can hardly play at all ... but I like to sing."

He didn't seem remotely curious. A lot of people claim to be able to sing well. I was just another member of the wannabe crowd to him—I could see it in his eyes.

He glanced quickly at Alice, as if she'd called his name. He did say anything; he only looked at her a little curiously. The caramel-haired woman stepped in to speak to me once more with a smile.

"I'm sorry to be so inhospitable, Mary-Celeste. My name is Esme."

I shook her cool hand with a smile. "Thank you. You have a lovely home."

After that, I made all of their acquaintances, shaking each hand in turn. Esme, Jasper, Emmett ... when I got to Rosalie, she froze. Our clasped hands stopped moving up and down and she stared at me, looking torn between laughing and crying.

"What did you say your name was?" she whispered.

I frowned a little in confusion. "Mary-Celeste."

She shook her head and focused once more on the present. "It's nice to meet you, Mary." She let go quickly and left the room without another word.

I looked around the room at all the people I'd just met. The movie-star-like blond man was conspicuously missing. I wondered if it had anything to do with me. _He'd looked like he was in pain or something ..._

Edward cleared his throat and his mouth tightened into a thin line. "I'm sorry Carlisle couldn't stay and meet you. There was an emergency at the hospital, and they called him in."

I nodded with a smile and my eyes made the rounds once more. I shuffled my feet shyly. There was something different about these people. _They don't seem quite human. Their skin is too light; they're impossibly beautiful ..._ I shook my head to clear my thoughts. _That's rude. I ought to withhold judgment. I'm sure they're perfectly normal._

Something shiny suddenly caught my eye. Esme's diamond bracelet caught a bright ray of sunshine slanting in through the white curtain. When she saw me looking at her wrist she quickly pulled her hand away, tugging her long sleeve down to almost completely cover her hand. She quickly stepped out of the patch of sunlight by the window.

My brow furrowed. _Does she think I'm going to steal it or something? _

Esme smiled at me to dispel my worries. "What are your plans while you're in town, Mary-Celeste?" She gestured politely to the welcoming couch.

Edward, Bella, Alice and I all sat down around the room, but Esme remained standing. Jasper smiled tensely at Alice before leaving the room, and Emmett shot me a half-smile before exiting out the same door Rosalie had.

I smiled at Esme, but the disappearing people act was making me a little nervous. "I'm ... working at Newton's right now."

"Oh, that's nice," she said, "Bella is, too. I hope you enjoy your stay in Forks." She smiled once more at the company and nodded for the door that was becoming swiftly popular. "I'd better go. You kids have fun."

"Edward," Alice said once Esme had gone, leaning forward and clasping her hands together, "why don't you play the piano for Mary-Celeste?"

He blew out a long breath, sounding a little annoyed, but I was interested. The piano was my favorite instrument, and hearing one played truly well was a treat I savored.

"I'd like to hear," I said, smiling.

_Figures ... looks __**and**__ talent ..._

He grinned and shook his head, sighing as he headed for the piano. He looked fondly at the keys as though thinking of what to play. Then, without any hesitation, his fingers flew across the keys impossibly fast in a complicated melody. My jaw flew open and I jumped up and ran to the piano, staring at his hands, which were moving far faster than I'd thought humanly possible. His fingers were flashing, dancing across the keys.

I leaned against the piano and closed my eyes, listening to the familiar song.

"Mozart," I said quietly.

He laughed a little. "Why don't you sit down?"

He still hadn't stopped playing. I glanced again at his hands before going to sit down. "That's impossible ..." I muttered. I sat down next to Bella. She seemed almost _amused_ at my awed behavior. I turned to her. "I'm _serious_. That's concerto number ten—for two pianos and an orchestra. He's playing it _by himself_ on just one piano. And ... this doesn't strike you as just a little bit unbelievable?"

I scowled, struck dumb. I folded my arms and tried to enjoy the music, but I was far too flabbergasted. _Impossible looks, impossible talent ... what's next? Can he read my mind, too? Or maybe see into the future? Can he lift semi-trucks single handedly? Or __**fly**__? _

I frowned. _I wonder if he knows 'Claire de Lune' ..._

He wound the song deftly to an early close, then, but didn't stop playing. Once the song finished, he began another, almost seamlessly. A familiar song. _You have got to be kidding me ..._ Claire de Lune. The other song had seemed to require very little concentration. This one apparently cost him none at all.

"You like classical music?" he asked.

"Very much, but I don't pretend to be an expert."

"You recognize these two songs, at least."

I smiled. "Yes, I do."

He nodded pleasantly. He was only halfway through the song when it suddenly changed again, this time to something unfamiliar. I liked it a lot, but not as much as Bella seemed to. She sighed and looked at Edward. They gazed at each other from across the room, and it was one of the single most beautiful things I'd ever seen. I was no longer surprised she was getting married so early. I could tell he would die to save her, and she would do the same for him. This was something much stronger than the romance found on the playground or in the hallways of a high school. This was what people spent their whole lives looking for.

I leaned back on the comfortable couch and sighed, feeling just the smallest pang of loneliness. _Am I jealous? ... Not of Edward, at least ... but their relationship? ... If I could even imagine someone who would love me __**half **__that much ..._

Edward looked at me, almost sympathetically. "Are you all right?" he murmured.

I reached up to feel my cheek and was surprised to find it wet. I hastily wiped the tears away and smiled quickly.

"Yes! Yes, I'm ... fine."

He continued to look a little concerned as the song drifted to a poignant close. At last, he stepped away from the piano and came to sit next to Bella and I on the sofa. Edward glanced at me and then turned to glare at Alice as if to say, "I told you so." Alice bit her lip and sprang from her seat, quickly filling the short silence.

"Mary! I want to hear you sing!"


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER SIX:

I immediately reddened at the prospect of displaying my meager talents in front of these unrealistically perfect people. "_Me__?_ Why?"

She shrugged. "You said you like to sing, and after all, you play the piano _so_ nicely."

I snorted. "After hearing Edward? _There's_ a compliment I'm going to take seriously." I rolled my eyes, but smiled good-naturedly to let her know I wasn't offended.

She grinned back. "You're not off the hook. What will you sing for us?"

"I ... I don't know. I don't have perfect pitch, so it's kind of a bad idea to have me sing unaccompanied."

"Easy. Edward will play for you."

Edward stood then, before I could refuse, and walked over to a cabinet near the piano that was filled to bursting with music books.

"Let's see ... what part do you sing?"

"Soprano," I mumbled, awed by the display of books.

He started pulling out books at random. "Broadway? Pop? Rock? Jazz?"

"Opera."

He looked at me quizzically, as if trying to figure out if I was joking or not, but he tugged "The Prima Donna's Album" off the shelf and handed it to me.

"I have this book! Let's see ..." I flipped through the pages, trying to find a song that would embarrass me the least. "I know ... 'Je veux vivre', 'O luce di quest anima', 'Una donna a quindicci anni' ..." he seemed slightly impressed, but held back any judgment.

"What are you most comfortable with?" he asked.

"Probably ... 'Saper vorreste', or 'Vissi d'Arte'."

"Tosca?" he asked. "Vissi d'Arte is one of my favorites." He smiled as he took the book from me and propped it up on the piano, turning to the correct page. As soon as he'd so much as touched the keys, the book sprang shut and fell off the piano.

I picked it up off the floor. "May I?"

He shrugged. I opened it to the right page and then stepped firmly on the binding until it stayed.

"Sorry. My music teacher won't even let me use my own book at lessons; it has to be hers, since the binding's already broken in."

Edward smiled and nodded, but seemed impatient to begin. He played the first note, waiting for me to start. I cleared my throat and wiped my sweaty hands on my jeans. I hesitantly began singing, my voice soft and thin as a string. My diaphragm wasn't supporting well—I was shaking too hard. I forced myself to relax. I turned away from the party and closed my eyes, focusing on the music. When the high section on the first page arrived, I didn't even crack once. I smiled, allowing the music to fill my heart and mind ... and my lungs.

I traveled liltingly through the phrases, my ribcage expanding and my diaphragm pounding out each note past my lifted soft palate.

At the end of the song, I sang the high "B" full out, my head nearly exploding from the euphoria of singing out so loud and strong. I finished the strong and then turned around, a little breathless.

Alice was grinning broadly. Edward was definitely impressed, and even Bella, who had been a little cool to me since I'd arrived, seemed grudgingly appreciative. They all clapped when I finished and I finally noticed Esme standing in the doorway, clapping as well.

I bit my lip. "I'm sorry. I hope I didn't bother you."

"Oh, not at all. That was lovely, Mary." Esme's smile was warm and comforting.

"You have a nice voice," Edward said.

I smiled. The compliment meant a lot coming from him.

"Thank you."

"You must train hard."

"I take voice lessons once a week. Or ... at least I did in Utah. I don't get to practice much here. There are always people around. Mom and Dad were pretty tolerant of my practicing."

Edward laughed, and I loved the sound. It made me happy, too.

Esme disappeared again and Jasper materialized in the doorway. Alice skipped over to him. I noticed then for the first time how extraordinarily graceful she was. There was something fluid about her motions; deliberate, as if she were planning the movement of every single muscle in advance, like a ballerina, but less stiff.

Jasper seemed slightly irritated, and Alice left with him.

I laughed nervously, but the strange little feeling that something was a little 'off' in this house persisted. "Looks like I can certainly clear a room," I said, with a small effort at humor.

Edward stared at a spot on the wall, seeming a little tense. Bella looked almost as uncomfortable as I felt. I nervously tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and sat down on the couch again.

_This is the weirdest situation ... This house, these people ... it all seems so surreal, somehow. They're all so beautiful and __**cold. **__When I shook their hands, I shivered_ ...

Edward looked at me, wary and almost defensive. I involuntarily shrank back. He smiled briefly.

"Do you want to sing something else?"

I shrugged. "If you really want me to."

"Actually, I'd like to try something, if you don't mind."

"Not at all."

He sat down once more at the piano bench and gestured for me to come near. "Just ... try singing along. Okay?"

"Okay," I said hesitantly.

He started playing, his long white fingers trickling across the keys with sounds I'd never heard before, that called dozens of emotions to mind all at once. I realized with a jolt that I was humming along as though it were a familiar song, and I started to sing a little louder. It was like magic. Many different songs worked well with my voice, but this ... this was _made _for my voice. I noticed a place for a refrain and a repeating chorus.

I softly repeated the melody once more and the song faded to a close. The piano's sounds trickled into silence, wisps of sound still bouncing off the smooth white walls. I gasped softly, my chest tightening. Then I grinned broadly and suddenly threw my arms around Edward's cold neck, hugging him from behind. The temperature felt _really _uncomfortable, but I squeezed him once more and sighed before letting him go.

"_Thank you._" I said, "That was ... I'll never forget that as long as I live. It was amazing."

He had seemed tense during my impromptu embrace but grinned at my enthusiasm. He seemed pleased to see me with gratefully watering eyes, filled with rapture.

"That was perfect," he said simply, looking contentedly at the keyboard.

I finally looked over at Bella. She was glaring at me with a pinched expression, as if trying to hide how displeased she was. I was taken aback.

_Oh, my ... territorial! It was just a hug! Good grief—I hug __**everyone**__. And Bella? You can __**have **__him. He's really not my type. _

Edward hid a smile, and Bella turned away from me, ugly red splotches on her cheeks. Edward looked a little concerned and surprised. Embarrassed, he went to sit next to her and nudged her chin up to look at him, smoothing her soft brown hair out of her face. He kissed the tip of her nose and laughed softly, pulling her into his chest.

"I'll tell you a secret," he whispered, "later."

She seemed comforted. I turned to give them some privacy and looked out the window. It was starting to get pretty dark, and I knew Mrs. Newton would be worried.

"I, uh ... hate to interrupt, but could I use a phone?"

Edward glanced up at me and wordlessly pulled a silver cell phone out of his pocket, tossing it to me. My hand shot out to deftly catch it, and I flipped it open. I dialed the Newtons' number. Mike picked up after the second ring.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Mike. It's Mary. I ... I just noticed it was pretty late, and I didn't want your mom to worry."

"She knows it's your day off."

"Well ... just let her know I'm being good, I guess."

"Speaking of that, where are you? Caller ID won't pick it up."  
"Oh, I'm at the Cullens' house, on Edward's cell phone."

He was quiet.

"Mike? You there?"

He began ... laughing—bitterly, in an ironic way. I bit my lip, wondering if it was safe to hang up and leave him like this.

"Oh, that's ... that's funny," he finally said, his voice flat.

"What's funny, Mike?"

"Nothing. I'll ... I'll tell you some other time. Maybe at work."

"Okay."

"I'll let my mom know you're fine."

"Okay, thanks."

Mike hung up, and I stared confusedly at the phone for a moment before closing it and tossing it back to Edward.

"It _is_ getting late," Edward said, "Want me to give you two a ride home?"

I looked at Bella for my cue and she seemed a little bit ashamed and embarrassed. I wondered what they'd been talking about while I was on the phone.

"Yes. Edward, that'd be nice. I'm actually a little tired." She looked up at me, her smile warm for the first time since we'd met. I couldn't help but smile back.

"Shall we?" she got up from the couch and I followed, shivering a little as I stepped into the chill night air. The sky was a deep purple-gray, and it gave the leafy greenery an almost surreal turquoise glow. _I need to write about all of this. It's been an interesting day. _


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER SEVEN:

I found myself in one of my whimsical, quietly contemplative moods. I stared out the window, thinking about nothing in particular. Before I knew it, we were in front of the Newtons' house. I slowly unbuckled my seatbelt, suddenly reluctant to leave. I opened the door, stepping outside, but leaning in to talk to them.

"Thank you so much for everything--" I began, but Edward's cell phone rang and he answered it. I was about to close the door and head for the house when Edward held up a hand to stop me, still carefully listening to the speaker on the other end. Once he'd finished the very short, almost entirely one-sided conversation, he turned to Bella.

"Bella, would you like to have a slumber party with Alice? Mary-Celeste is invited too, of course."

My brow quirked. Maybe I was a little old-fashioned, but it seemed a little odd to me that a _guy_ was orchestrating a slumber party for his girlfriend and sister.

Bella smiled, but her brows remained heavy, trying to figure out his reasoning. It was a comfort to know that she was as baffled as I was.

"Um," she began, "where would it--"

"At your house, if you don't think Charlie would mind. That would probably be the best place."

Bella nodded, now looking just a little bit troubled.

"I'm sure that would be fine. Mary? Did you want to join us ...?"

I shot a glanced at Edward and then looked at Bella speculatively. "Edward's not going to be there, is he?"

"No," she answered quickly. _Too_ quickly.

"Well then," I said, "I guess it would be fine. Mind waiting for me while I grab a few things?"

"Not at all," Edward said, "take your time. We'll wait for you."

Bella smiled at me, and I grinned back. There was something strange about these people, but at least I was beginning to feel a _little_ accepted.

I jogged up to the door step and knocked three times, pausing for a moment before opening the door and stepping inside. Mrs. Newton was in the kitchen, a pair of dark jeans hugging her slender hips. Her hair was pulled back into an elegant twist—a casual style for her. She was wearing a designer apron and daintily spreading breadcrumbs on a not-quite-homemade-looking casserole. She looked up at me and smiled when I entered.

"Hello, Mary-Celeste. Your mom called earlier. She said she'll be in Logan for the next few days if you need to reach her."

I nodded. "Thanks."

"Do you want some dinner?" The Newton family had a habit of eating quite late. It didn't agree with my system, so I rarely ate dinner with them.

"No, thanks. I already ate. Just making sure ... you're fine with me staying the night at someone's house?  
She smiled at me, but her forehead wrinkled. "Whose house?"

"Um ... actually ... oh, yeah. At Bella Swan's house. Alice Cullen will be there, too."

Her lips stretched a little and I smiled hopefully.

"... sure," she finally said, "that'd be fine."

I could tell she was warring with herself. She wanted to be reasonable, but at the same time keep me nearby.

"Thank you," I said quickly, before she could change her mind and decide to chain me to the couch next to her son. I skipped off to gather my things—there weren't many. Ian had come to collect the car, but he hadn't brought my other luggage with him, so I had been doing my laundry at three-day intervals.

I quickly tucked away all I needed and then glanced once more around the small room to make sure there wasn't anything I was forgetting. _Chuck! How could I have forgotten?? _I scooped the diary up in my arms and then hiked up the stairs quickly, embarrassed to have kept them waiting for me so long. I came running out of the house, my hair flying everywhere and my cheeks rosy. When I climbed into the backseat, Edward said, "you're trailing."

I was just about to close the door when I noticed the sleeve of a sweater hanging out of my duffel bag.

"Thanks," I said, still a little breathless, and a little self-conscious at his calling attention to my messy self. I really _tried_ to be neat ... sometimes.

"So, what's the plan?" I asked.

"That depends," Edward said, still apparently the one in charge, "would you like to stay at my house or Bella's?"

"Bella's," I said quickly.

He grinned to himself and backed smoothly out of the driveway, his mind far away. Bella smiled at me, as if on cue. She turned around in her seat.

"This'll be fun!" she said, sounding overly bright.

I rolled my eyes. "_Relax_, Bella. No need to stand on ceremony for me."

She seemed a little surprised, and the tiniest tendril of a real smile threatened to push itself across her face. Her smile made me forgive her for the infuriating way she and Edward and _everyone_ else all seemed to have some huge secret. I was getting a little tired of how insincere Bella always sounded. I vowed to myself, then and there, that I would find out what, exactly, this crazy little secret was.

"Alice should be there when we arrive," Edward said.

When we pulled into Bella's driveway, sure enough, Alice was already there. She skipped out the door as we arrived, waving at us. The sky was a deep, heavy gray and the stars were trapped behind the thick blanket. I frowned a little and mourned loss of the dazzling view of the constellations from my backyard. _There, the milky way actually looked __**milky**__. Here it's sort of ... smudgy-looking. Oh, but I wish I could see Orion ... or even just the moon ..._

"Look," Edward said quietly to me, pointing.

I looked where he pointed, and smiled. The half-moon slanted shimmering silver light through a small hole in the clouds. I sighed a little and smiled, remembering all the times I would sit outside in the middle of the night, writing solely by the light of the white-bright full moon. I stared at the bluish moon. It was absolutely beautiful here. The dense green forests, the fragrant rain ... how could they just walk by and not notice every day how dazzling it was?

"Mary-Celeste?" Edward asked. I was standing in the middle of the driveway. I quickly came to my senses and followed him. He was already carrying all of my things, his stride unaffected by the baggage.

"Thank you," I said, gesturing to his load.

He merely nodded. He opened the door for Bella and I with one hand and then followed us in. Every movement he made was slightly disconcerting to me; it was so fluid, it was almost cat-like.

Charlie was on the living room couch when we arrived, apparently waiting for us.

"Hi, Dad," Bella said, "is it all right if Alice and Mary spend the night?"

Charlie looked as though he were trying very hard to look severe and failing miserably.

"And you're just asking me _now_?"

"Well, it was a little ... spur-of-the-moment," she said. She looked a little confusedly at Edward. "Would that be all right?"

Charlie hefted himself off the couch. "Well ... I _guess_ so ..." he said, winking. He stood and walked over to me, shaking my hand. I gripped his hand firmly and cheerily shook it. "It's nice to see you again, Mary," he said.

"You, too, Charlie. Thanks for having me over."

Edward jogged down the stairs. That's when I noticed my luggage was gone. _That was quick ..._

After a brief "conversation" with Charlie, in which the police chief drilled me on high school, college, community responsibilities, and healthy living, we finally all escaped to Bella's room to get ready for bed.


	8. Chapter 8

CHAPTER EIGHT:

A pall of awkwardness cast itself over the house as soon as we left the living room. It was utterly inexplicable. One moment, I was politely answering questions, and the next, Alice and Bella were shooting each other furtive glances as we headed up the stairs. Very little was said. I could tell Bella and Alice were just bursting to talk to one another about one of those little niggling secrets that had been driving me insane all day. I sat in her room and flipped through _Pride and Prejudice_ for a few minutes.

Bella came out of the bathroom then with wet hair and dingy pajamas.

"I ..." I said, "would it bother you if I took a shower, too?"

"No, not at all," she almost looked happy, "you can use my shampoo."

I smiled at her and exited, knowing I was making the pair of them very happy. I gratefully disappeared into the bathroom and closed the door. My reflection in the mirror was startlingly haggard. My hair was straggly and all over the place; _why hadn't I noticed before??_ I pulled out a brush and began to tackle my wild blond mane. My eyes were big and a queer, translucent gray-blue, instead of their usual bright blue. _Perhaps they're mimicking the sky around them ... _I thought sardonically. My mascara had smudged; I looked half-dead. I rolled my eyes and sighed, turning away from the mirror. Bella managed to look so ... well, _pretty_. Not drop-dead gorgeous, or out of the ordinary ... but effortlessly pretty. She spent hardly any time in the bathroom, and didn't wear any make-up at all, so far as I could tell.

I stepped into the shower as soon as my hair was completely de-tangled. The hot water was strangely soothing, even after the balmy heat of the day. Her shampoo smelled nice—like strawberries. I lathered up and scrubbed the sticky heat off every inch of my skin. I looked at myself. I'd been feeling a little pudgy all day. It was practically impossible not to, with stick-thin little Alice, perfect Rosalie, and slender Bella. However, as I looked at myself, I saw no unsightly bulges or rolls of fat. I was pleasantly curved and well-toned.

My self-esteem was a little healthier as I rinsed and toweled off. Wrapping my towel securely around me, I went back to Bella's room for my pajamas, since I wasn't in the habit of getting dressed in the bathroom. When I walked in, Bella and Alice looked up, abruptly. They had been arguing about something in low, fierce tones. They stopped as soon as I entered the room. I was unaccountably embarrassed and fought the urge to roll my eyes. This was incredibly frustrating for me. I dug fresh pajamas out of my duffel bag and smiled at them, trying not to let the feeling of exclusion keep me from being pleasant.

"Do you have a hairdryer I could use?" I asked as I left. It was impossible for me to go to bed with wet hair—it makes the pillow damp, and my head cold.

"Sure. It's ... in the cabinet under the sink."

"Thanks."

As I looked at myself in the bathroom mirror once more, I allowed myself another thirty seconds to feel jealous of Bella before I shoved the poisonous emotion out of my system. She had straight, white teeth—no braces, no retainer. I mournfully pushed my retainer in and grimaced. She had twenty-twenty vision ... I carefully picked my high-prescription contact lenses out of my eyes and dropped them in their case. And she had flawless, white skin. Mine tanned far too easily for my liking; it was impossible for me to keep the porcelain-doll look going for long, and I'd had acne all through high school. Some of the scars were still visible. I sighed heavily and rubbed moisturizer on my face. Then I blew my mid-back length hair dry very slowly, knowing that I wouldn't be missed. I gave myself a while to feel sullenly romantic and picked on.

I stared at myself in the mirror for quite some time, not really seeing anything. It was as if I were meeting someone for the first time. Someone incredibly good at mimicry.

When I couldn't stand the sight of myself any longer, I turned out the light with a sigh and left. Through the bedroom door, I heard Bella and Alice still talking. I found myself in no mood to rain on their parade. I stopped with my hand only a few inches from the doorknob, then sighed and turned away. I headed down the half-flight of stairs, instead.

The house was dark and empty; Charlie had already gone to bed. I snuggled into my soft and only somewhat ragged duster sweater. The tile was pleasantly cool on my bare feet as I made my way to the back door. The floor creaked two or three times, which made me wince, but I continued nonetheless. Slowly, I eased open the squeaky screen door and stepped out into the velvet night. The air felt soft, like a cool down comforter brushing against my cheek. I took a hesitant few steps into the back yard when a silvery glow suddenly lit the scene. The moon was completely out. It gleamed through a size-able hole in the woolly gray clouds—a luminous white disk. I gasped softly and stared.

A cool zephyr spun past my face and I shivered a little, but merely pulled my sweater closer and looked around once more. It was clear that these people were not landscape architects or gardeners. The woods encroached on the edge of the rarely-mowed lawn and appeared to be trying to reclaim the land taken from it decades ago. I squinted into the leafy darkness and saw a small break in the trees—a path.

I heard a twig snap behind me. My heart pounded in double time as I whipped around, only to find nothing there. _You're being paranoid, Mary ..._

I let myself calm down and I glanced at the pitch-green woods once more. A piercing curiosity assailed, and I took a couple of steps toward the mysterious path. _I may never get another chance_ ... Would I _never_ get rid of my ridiculous fear of the dark? Would I really let that completely irrational fear keep me from doing what I wanted? My spine stiffened. _No_. My brow furrowed with determination.

I stepped purposefully forward—one step, two steps, three—into the trees. The branches and leaves scratched against my face, my arms, my chest, but the mossy ground was soft and moist. I continued, reveling in the lush _green_ smell of it all. My feet kept moving, and I plunged into the blackness. I lost track of how far I had come when the bushes nearby rustled ominously and my heart stopped again, then restarted, thumping deafeningly loudly.

The rustling didn't stop. I prayed feverishly for the bush to cease its dance and my panic to die down, but it was no use. I was rooted to the spot, staring into the mysterious black. My imagination raced wildly. _A bear? Deer? A __**wolf**__? _At times like these, my overactive imagination was _not_ my friend. I quickly turned and tried to find my way back, but I was breathing too quickly and merely stumbled on the indistinct path. It didn't feel any different from the rest of the forest floor. I shakily stood and gave a fleeting glance back to the bushes that had originally frightened me, just to reassure myself. My imagination had been wrong dozens of times before, and I was positive it was merely happening again.

However, when I looked, I wasn't placated. At least a foot above my head, a pair of eyes gleamed. They moved closer. Almost painfully slowly, an enormous, hulking, four-legged shape slowly followed the glowing eyes.

My heart went numb and my breath caught; it was too much. Suddenly, all feeling was gone, replaced by a blackness far too similar to the forest through which I'd wandered. My world dissolved into nothing.

I was dimly aware of a pair of very strong, very warm, very _human_ arms catching me before I hit the ground. Then my consciousness abandoned me.


	9. Chapter 9

CHAPTER NINE:

I woke up to a hazy gray mist slanting through the window. I blinked once, twice. Looked at the white ceiling. I was in a sleeping bag on the floor in Bella's room. _Could that have all been some crazy dream_? ... I lazily sat up and stretched. My muscles were uncomfortably tight. I slowly stood, unsure of myself, of my surroundings. _Last night ... I'm almost positive I went for a walk outside. ... But that huge __**thing**__ in the woods ... that couldn't really have happened_ ... I stretched once more and headed downstairs.

Alice and Bella were sitting at the table. Each of them looked at me grimly when I walked in. It felt almost like I was the last one told that I had a terminal disease. They watched me with a creepy, wary reverence that I found unsettling.

"Um ... hey. Good morning."

Alice gave a weak smile. "Good morning, Mary-Celeste. How did you sleep?"

I rubbed my sore muscles. "Not so good, actually. I'm pretty sore."

Alice smiled. "Do you want a massage? I've been told I'm pretty good."

"That sounds amazing."

She beckoned for me to come sit in the chair directly in front of her and proceeded to knead my shoulders, untying all the knots with her hard, cool little fingers. The kitchen was silent, except for the quiet groaning of the old refrigerator.

"Did you have a bad dream?" Alice asked casually, but I heard a well-concealed dash of burning curiosity in her tone.

"I ... I must have. But I could have _sworn_ it wasn't a dream at all ..."

"Vivid?" she asked.

A puzzle piece clicked into my mind just then, and I remembered a detail I hadn't before.

"No! I ... you and Bella were talking last night, and I didn't want to bother you, so I went for a walk outside--"

Alice nervously interrupted. "Really? It must have been _very_ dark."

"It was ... for a while. The moon shone through a crack in the clouds and lit things up. Then I went for a walk down that trail in the back yard."

Bella dropped the napkin she had been playing with, paying attention for the first time that morning. "In the forest? You went ... what happened?"

"Bella!" Alice said, "She probably doesn't want to--"

I raised an eyebrow at her and she trailed off. I then turned to Bella. "I think I actually walked fairly far. I can't be sure—it was too dark—but I think I was about 100 yards from the house. Then ... some bushes rustled and I saw this huge ... _thing_." My pulse raced with the raw memory and I took a shuddering breath.

Bella's eyes widened. She almost looked ... happy. "What did it look like?" she breathed.

"Well ... it was _huge_. And I think it had four legs. Shaggy fur ... it almost looked like ... well, a wolf. ... B-but it was way too big—at least six or seven feet tall."

Bella gasped and her eyes looked watery with ... relief, it looked like.

"What color was it?" she asked abruptly.

I looked at her funny. "What _color_ was it?" I asked disbelievingly.

She seemed a little embarrassed. "You're right. It doesn't matter. What happened after that?"

I was surprised by her sudden interest in me. "I think I passed out then. I remember, it felt like my whole chest was numb. And then ... well, I was pretty much unconscious, so I can't be sure, but it _felt_ like someone caught me before I hit the ground. Silly, I know, but--"

I stopped. Bella had gasped once more, and this time she noticed the shrewd look I gave her afterward.

"That's ..." she said, "That's ... well, I'm glad you didn't get hurt," she repeated, "are you _sure_ you were dreaming?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. I guess it could have been, I suppose, if you don't remember bringing me inside."

"It probably was," Alice said matter-of-factly, with a pointed glance at Bella. She finished my shoulders and I rolled my neck a couple of times. I felt much better. I reached up to feel my tangled hair and then groaned.

"Ugh ..."

"I could brush your hair, if you wanted," she offered congenially.

I grinned. "Seriously? You're way too nice. I love it when people play with my hair."

"Go ahead and grab a brush."

"I'll be right back."

Naturally, as soon as they figured I was out of earshot, they exploded into whispers. Bella seemed awfully excited about something. I felt a little lump rise in my throat. It was completely silly, I already knew, but every time they would talk about that ... well, that huge _secret_ that everyone but me knew about, I felt bad. Left out, and ... almost like I was being gossiped about, even though I knew it wasn't true. Nonetheless, a sour taste rose in my mouth and I had to fight back a tear or two. _Good grief, but I'm hormonal ... _

I told myself repeatedly that it wasn't about me, pulled my face together, and determined to be perfectly cheerful. I stalled a little before going back down, though. I brushed my teeth, put in my contacts, swiped on a little deodorant ... then I fished my brush out of my bag and skipped down the stairs with one of my signature silly grins on my face. As usual, they quickly stopped talking as soon as I came in.

Alice shoved a smile onto her face and gestured for me to sit in the chair in front of her. Taking the brush from me, she skillfully began work on the tangles in my golden, mid-back mane. As she worked, she casually mentioned going shopping. Bella seemed indifferent, but I smiled. I still had about 60 left in my summer clothing budget.

"That sounds really fun, actually," I said, "But ... I don't remember seeing anything in Forks. At all. What's within easy driving distance?"

"Port Angeles is fairly close," Alice said, "the selection isn't great, though."

Half an hour later, we were dressed and ready. My hair hadn't been cooperating, so I'd pulled it into two long braids. The drive down was quite pleasant. I learned a little more about Alice's unusual family and Bella even started to peek out of her shell a little more. She didn't seem like a particularly interesting person to me, and yet ... she did. There was something about her. The stereotypes she threatened to conform to all slid off her and refused to stick.

When we finally arrived, I looked around at the scant racks.

"Hmm ... you weren't kidding, were you?"

Alice laughed. "Where do you usually shop?"

I shrugged. "Lots of places. Within a similar driving time there are six or seven pretty good malls around. I ... like clothes, but I don't shop very much. I actually order several things online."

"Like what?"

"Dollhouse jeans," I said simply, fingering a pale blue eyelet dress.

The conversation petered out, but fired up again whenever Alice or I made a cute discovery on one of the racks. Before too long, our arms were full of things to try on. Bella didn't pick out much, so Alice and I ended up playing dress-up with Bella as our model.

When she walked out of the dressing room in a rich blue boat-necked shirt, Alice and I grinned and clapped our hands.

"That looks _so_ good on you, Bella!" I cried, "_sheesh_, but I wish I had your figure."

She was quite thin, with barely a trace of a figure. She reddened at the compliment. "Thanks ... I guess."

The rest of the day magically flew by. I ended up with the perfect sunny yellow shirt-dress, and Alice found some dangly earrings that suited her. The day closed surprisingly quickly, and I found myself regretting not spending more time with them. Alice was a genuinely sweet, fun girl, and Bella was also nice, but she was a riddle. They dropped me off at the Newtons' house, and before I stepped out of the car, Alice gazed into the distance a little thoughtfully, looking worried.

"Mary," she said, "I, uh ... here's my cell phone number. Call me tomorrow and we can do something."

"Oh, okay." I smiled, getting out of the car.

"And, Mary?"

I turned back to face her.

"If you ever have a problem ... you can call us, okay? If anything's wrong, or ... or you're worried about something, just ... feel free to call."

I moved to leave, but she stopped me one more time.

"Be really careful, okay? I know Forks is a really small town, but there can be some scary things in the woods."

I raised an eyebrow at her, but nodded. They drove off then, and I looked after them, utterly confused by the warning. Then I remembered the last night's dream, and shivered.


	10. Chapter 10

CHAPTER TEN:

I had a shift scheduled the next morning. I rose early and piled my hair messily on top of my head before heading to the store. I yawned as the bell rang, signaling my entrance.

"Morning," I said cheerfully.

I had been a little clammy when I woke up that morning. I couldn't remember what my dream had been about, but I knew Carlisle had been in it ... and it was scary.

Mrs. Newton was at the store when I arrived, punching in keys at the cash register with clackety salon nails.

"Mary!" She smiled when she saw me. "I didn't see you come in last night. Did you ..." she searched for a tactful phrase, "have a nice time?"

I smiled. "Yes, Mrs. Newton. Alice, Bella and I had a very nice time. The Cullens are a lovely family."

"What did you do?" she asked, with poorly disguised curiosity.

I pursed my lips a little to let her know she was being a little invasive and then responded with a smile. "Not much. We had a girly sleepover and then went shopping all day yesterday."

She smiled at me and then turned to inspect the other goods. I let out the breath a I hadn't realized I'd been holding and walked down aisle three. Mike hopped off a nearby ladder with a laugh.

"Sorry you're getting the third degree," he chuckled, eyebrows raising at his zealous mother.

I couldn't help laughing too. "It's not her fault. She's just trying to keep her son safe from any Jezebels or Delilahs that might be lurking."

"And which category do you fall into?" he teased, bumping my hip with his, eyes twinkling.

I stuck my tongue out at him. "If you'll remember, my name is _Mary_."

"Ooh, Virgin Mary," he crooned.

My cheeks pinked. I couldn't help it. I scowled at him as I finished tying my apron on and stepped behind the counter.

The bell tinkled and a tired, pale brunette stepped through the door.

"Hey, Bella," I said tentatively.

She barely noticed, merely nodding a little.

"You okay?" I asked. "You look sort of dead."

She seemed to perk up a little. "Oh, sorry ..."

I leaned toward her over the counter with a concerned expression. "What's wrong? Didn't you get any sleep?"

She shook her head. "Edward got back in last night."

Mike stopped shelving fishing rods and listened. I raised an eyebrow at him and he turned around again.

"That's right ... he was gone, wasn't he?" I remembered aloud, lowering my voice a little. "What did you guys do?"

"Just ... talked, and went to his house." Something was definitely troubling her. I could tell.

"Is anything wrong?" I asked carefully, lowering my voice even more.

Bella turned to look at Mike, who once again had his ears trained on us.

"Edward's coming during lunch. Let's all talk then," she said.

It seemed like forever, but eventually I was sitting in the local park, under a pavilion. The rain was only a fine mist today, making the whole place look like a tropical rain forest, or a mythical copse. I thoughtfully chewed my sandwich as I looked out at the foggy expanse and inhaled the moist air. It was brisk, but not cold.

It was only a few minutes later that Bella joined me, and she gave me the _oddest_ look. I was a little weirded out by it, but patted the bench beside me and finished swallowing the bite I was chewing. She sat, and was quiet. I watched her, patiently waiting for her to break the silence. Finally, she looked at me.

"Um ... I'm not exactly sure how to say this, but--"

"Bella!" Edward interrupted, jogging up to us.

She looked up and smiled at him. I rolled my eyes. _Just in the nick of time ... right when I was about to actually __**learn**__ something around here... _

"Edward," she said.

He wrapped his arms around her waist and gave her a quick kiss and a hug. I watched them, and once again felt a little pang of loneliness. _I wish I had someone who loved me like that ..._ I turned away and cleaned up the remains of my lunch.

"Mary-Celeste," Edward said in his musical voice. For some reason, it unnerved me a little.

"What is it?"

"We—I mean Bella, Alice and I—were wondering if you'd like to come stay with us a few days."

There was something in his tone that kept me from trusting him completely.

"Uh ... I don't know. What for? Was there a specific reason?" _**What**__ are you people keeping from me?? _

Edward looked at me silently, then turned to Bella and gave her a meaningful glance. Her answering expression was unfathomable. I rolled my eyes and scowled at them. _Why do these stupid people even __**talk**__ to me if they're not going to tell me what the __**hell**__ is going on??... _

Edward turned back to me and sighed. "We'd really like to have you. Please say you'll come."

I made the mistake of looking into his dazzling golden eyes. I reminded myself a moment later to breathe. _Now __**that's**__ unfair ..._

I found myself nodding. "That'd be nice," I said.

He grinned crookedly. "Great. I can pick you and Bella up after work, if that would be all right."

"Sure ... that'd be ... fine,"

"Unless the Newtons' house would be better?"

"It would be, thanks."  
"Right. I'll be there around six."

"Great."

As soon as Edward left, I stared at Bella. My look specifically said, "You _will_ tell me what's going on here sooner or later." With that, I turned and headed back for work.

I was hanging my apron on its hook in the back room when Bella came and talked to me.

"Listen," she said, taking a deep breath, "believe it or not, I know exactly how you feel."

I was prepared to ignore her, but something in her voice made me listen.

"So just know," she continued, "there's a _really_ good reason."

I raised my eyebrows and scrutinized her then. Finding truth in her eyes, I nodded, feeling a little mollified. She gave a little nervous smile and looked around the room and then back at me conspiratorially.

"But here's a hint," she said, "If you _guess_, I'll tell you if you're right. It's only fair, since you're just as involved as I was."

I saw Bella in a different light just then. Instead of selfish, she seemed remarkably helpful. Instead of making me feel a little jealous ... there was kinship that hadn't been there before. I smiled at her, and for once, the gnawing curiosity that had been eating me from the inside out quelled, and I was at peace. I pulled her into a sudden hug. I could tell she wasn't a really touchy-feely person, like me, but she hugged me back all the same, and I could tell she was trying to do her best.


	11. Chapter 11

CHAPTER ELEVEN:

Explaining the situation to Mrs. Newton was not easy. Here—let me say it again, in case you didn't hear me the first time. It was _not_ easy to tell Mrs. Newton I was planning to stay at the Cullens' house for the next few days. I'd never seen such abysmally false cheerfulness in my life. She seemed close to tears, but I somehow managed to get out the door with everything I'd brought with me to the state of Washington. (My package from Ian had arrived yesterday, and I now had a much more generously stocked wardrobe.)

Edward was at the door promptly at six o'clock, and helped me carry my bags into the car.

The fifteen-minute car ride to the Cullens' gave me plenty of time to think about what the enormous secret could be. _Well ... they're all __**cold **__all the time, and almost inhumanly beautiful ... _Edward suddenly turned and glared at Bella, who simply shrugged cheekily. _They keep talking with their __**eyes**__ ... it's starting to freak me out_. Edward turned back to the road. After a while, his expression softened a little.

He was driving far too fast, but somehow I knew he wouldn't crash. _Why do I feel terrified when Jimmy drives 60 miles per hour on dark country roads, and not Edward?_

When we arrived, Edward carried our bags inside, and we followed in lazy silence. The house was every bit as beautiful as I recalled. The crystal chandelier in the entryway glittered, and the big white living room gleamed spotless and cozy as it always had. Edward disappeared up the long staircase. Esme sat at the dining room table, languidly occupied with what looked like a thousand piece puzzle. We'd passed Rosalie on our way in, working on a fabulous red convertible. Emmet had been with her, laughing at something she'd said. I had smiled at the two of them as I went in the house; they were a well-matched pair.

I sat down on the corner of an overstuffed sofa and made myself comfortable. Bella and Edward sat at the other end of the sofa.

"Do you play the piano?" Edward asked, in an effort to be a good host.

I shook my head. "I'm really not good at playing piano."  
He frowned a little. "You're quite good, actually, considering you've only had eight weeks of lessons, but I won't _force_ you to play."

"Thank you," I replied. _When did I tell him I'd only taken lessons for eight weeks?_

"You know," he said, "I didn't have official training, either. I taught myself how to play the piano. 'The maple leaf rag' was the first song I taught myself."

I raised my brows incredulously, "seriously? How long ago was _that_?"

He grinned. "A few years ago," he confessed.

I laughed. "So there's hope for me yet."

We lapsed into a slightly awkward silence.

"Out of curiosity," I said finally, breaking the quiet, "Why did you invite me here, again? Was there some special reason?"

Once again, I sensed Edward was choosing his words very carefully. He took a deep breath and shrugged nonchalantly.

"We like having you around."

"Really?" I said doubtfully.

He smiled at me, a dazzlingly bright smile. I blinked a couple of times.

"You're a good person, Mary-Celeste." I smiled. He was the only person around here to actually call me Mary-Celeste, my full first name. I liked it.

Bella smiled at me, as if trying to tell me something, but I had not yet mastered the mysterious 'language of the eyes' that everyone around here seemed to speak so fluently. I smiled serenely at her and shrugged. She rolled her eyes a little, but didn't really seem annoyed.

"We like you, Mary," she said, "you're interesting."

"You aren't like other people," Edward added.

Something in the way he said the word 'people' stirred my interest, but I let it pass.

"I'm not?" I asked, "I was so very sure I was perfectly normal."

"Well ... you are."

"But you just said--"

"Yes and no. You're ... almost perfectly normal. Let me see if I can put this right. On one hand, you're utterly unique. No one else I've ever met is quite like you. On the other hand, you're very ... well, ordinary. Deliberately ordinary, it seems. You douse yourself in cliches. ... Why? In an effort to be normal? Accepted?"

I grinned and shook my head. "No. It's because I like them. I _like _all that girly stuff. Pearls, pink, romance ... I have a thing for roses. My dream career is to be a stay-at-home mom." I laughed, my eyes alive and sparkling, and I shrugged.

The muscles in Edward's neck tightened, and he stiffly tried to look happy for me. I could think of no guesses about the strange situation to pose to Bella, so I abruptly stood.

"Well," I said, changing the subject, "If I'm going to be staying here for the next few days, would it be possible for me to have a tour?"

Edward stood. "Absolutely. That sounds like a good idea. Bella? Are you coming?"  
She nodded with a swallow and followed us on our guided tour. I was shown all the rooms on the second floor—bedrooms, studies, bathrooms ...

Walking down the hallway upstairs, I noticed something on the wall that _really_ creeped me out.

"What ... is _that?_" I asked.

Edward laughed nervously. "Carlisle's father, uh ... collected religious artifacts."

"Oh. That's nice." I once again looked at the seemingly ancient polished wooden cross. My voice was flat. Numb. Dead as I spoke. _Okay ... I'm officially freaked out now_.

Later that evening, the whole family joined us—Esme, Rosalie, Emmett, Alice, and Jasper. Everyone but Carlisle, I noticed. _That's odd ..._ They all sat in couples, quite close to one another. While none of them were being terribly mushy, I still felt the urge to roll my eyes. It reminded me strongly of my own family gatherings. _Five brothers and sisters—five! And __**all **__of them married. Married with children. It's almost depressing. _

Somehow, they managed to convince me to sing again. I was completely embarrassed by my inadequacy, but my ego very quickly recovered when I was generously complimented.

Edward and I leafed through the books for a song I knew, and I selected "O luce di quest anima,"--my favorite aria.

I began singing the familiar recitativ at my very best. There was something about this house. It could have been the acoustics, but I didn't think it was. As soon as I opened my mouth and sang here, I instantly felt ... worthwhile. Despite the inhuman beauty around me, the romantic couples, my obvious ordinariness ... I felt good.

I continued singing, slipping in extra little cadenzas here and there, which Edward somehow followed perfectly on the piano. I was in the middle of the song when Edward suddenly stopped playing. I stopped singing. He rubbed his temples, looking frustrated. Alice stood then, glanced pointedly at the clock, and then looked around. The entire family was dead silent, sitting on the edge of their seats. They seemed to be waiting for something ... or some_one_.

In an attempt to be casual, I glanced out the window, trying to ignore the quickening pace of my heart and act normally. I wasn't appeased.

When I looked out the window ... someone was _looking_ at me. A big, brown pair of eyes stared directly into mine and then quickly disappeared into the bushes outside the window.

"H-hey," I said softly. My heart was pounding, "There's someone just outside ..."


	12. Chapter 12

CHAPTER TWELVE:

Emmett, Edward and Jasper were out the door before I could blink twice.

_They are __**fast**__. _I stood there blinking for a moment, in shock. _I've never seen three people move so quickly before ..._

I looked around the room at all the tense faces that all seemed ready to jump up and run. I smiled to myself and tried to make light of the situation, ignoring my throbbing heart. "How's everyone feeling?" I asked cheerily.

I was met with half-smiles and looks of mild surprise, as if they'd only just remembered I was there. They all seemed to glance at Alice then, with eyebrows raised. She nodded pointedly at them and smiled at me.

"Did you recognize who it was?" she asked me.

I shook my head. "No, not at all. Besides, I barely caught a glimpse."

The front door flew open, and everyone stared in anticipation. Edward, Emmett, and Jasper reappeared, their faces unspeakably tense. Behind them followed a brown-eyed someone. A strange hum and surge of warmth radiated from my chest as I looked at him.

Everyone stared at him. I found myself smiling.

"Hello," I said softly, taking one or two steps toward him. We locked gazes, and he smiled back.

"Hi," he said.

A curious sensation swept over me. Somehow I _knew_ this boy. We'd met before.

I offered my hand to shake, and he closed the distance between us with three steps. Our hands clasped, and we both stared at our linked hands in shock. The strange sensation that I'd met him somewhere before washed over me again, undiluted, and I looked up at him.

He looked almost unspeakably happy and disbelieving. I felt the same emotion begin to bubble up in myself.

"Robin," I whispered, before I could stop myself.

He looked closely at me, incredulous and almost suspicious. "How do you know my name?" he asked.

My eyes bulged. "Your name is _Robin?"_

"Yes," he said again, "... is that a problem?"  
"No! I mean ... it's just ..." I looked around the room then, and found Alice grinning at the two of us, her hands clasped in her lap. I turned back to Robin, my sense of humor revived. "Oh, come on," I teased, "don't tell me you don't remember me!"

He didn't smile, only thoughtfully glanced at me. "That's the strange thing, actually," he said quietly, "I feel like I _do_ know you ... but I don't think we've ever met before.

I swallowed the sudden lump in my throat, my chest pounding, and willed myself to believe this was actually happening to me.

"_Wow."_

I looked down at our still-clasped hands, incredulous. He raised my hand to his lips and kissed the back of it. I grinned, and my heart bounced around in my chest until I thought I'd fall over.

"I think ..." he said, watching my hand as he lowered it again, then meeting my eyes, "we should spend a little time together. Hmm?"

I nodded. "Definitely," I said a little breathlessly.

"I hate to interrupt," Edward said with a steely look in his eye, "but I think we'd all really like to know what's going on here."

Robin dropped my hand, suddenly businesslike, and smiled at the assembled company. It seemed to me that he made lots of introductions like this. The speech seemed well-practiced.

"Hello! I'm Robin. I'm approximately ..." he looked up to his left, trying to remember, "sixty-two years old."

_That_ got everyone's attention. The Cullens stared at him, looking rigid and almost ... frightened. I was shocked. I hadn't known that emotion was even possible for them. I was pretty blown away by his age, since he only _looked_ like he was around nineteen or twenty, but somehow ... I believed him. I couldn't explain it, but I trusted every word that came out of his mouth. Trusted them with my life. The niggling sensation that I'd met him before nearly drove me crazy. I couldn't figure it out. The initial shock of the strange meeting seemed to have blocked off my memory, leaving me in the present, but dazed. I heard him continue.

"I like reading, and learning about different subjects, and I love music ..."

"Me, too!" I interjected, smiling.

He smiled back at me, and then Edward interrupted again, with an incredulous llook, almost bordering on a smile. He raised an eyebrow at me.

"Hold on. Aren't you ... frightened by any of this?" He almost sounded angry.

My eyebrows wrinkled.

"Um ... no. Should I be?"

"Oh, great," he muttered, massaging his temples impatiently, "there are _two_ of them now."

The room suddenly smelled really nice, and seemed brighter. The tension inexplicably melted away like butter in the sunshine, and I smiled serenely.

"This is a really beautiful room," I noticed happily.

Robin seemed a little confused at the change in pace.

"Yeah. It's really nice in here. You guys have a beautiful home, by the way."

Carlisle stepped out of a shadow at the edge of the room. It startled me; I hadn't seen him there.

"What I think Edward was trying to say," he said in a softly chilling voice that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end, "is, 'why are you here?' and 'do you mean us harm?'."

Robin smiled. "No, I don't mean anyone harm. I've been in the area, hiking and doing a little work with botany. My path went quite near your home, and I ... I heard music, and stopped to listen." he turned to me then, with a smile. "You have a beautiful voice, by the way."

I felt myself blush with pleasure. "Thank you."

"The question I think we'd all like to ask," Alice broke in, "is ... what _are_ you?"

My heart thudded, and I realized then more than I ever had ... how inhuman the Cullens were. So inhuman, in fact, that I realized that though I hadn't known exactly what they _were_, I'd known for some time what they _weren't—_human. I noticed intensely how pale and cold and hard their skin was – like unbreakable porcelain. How oddly colored their eyes were—I could have sworn they even _changed_ color ... how dazzlingly beautiful they all were, how they never seemed to _eat_ ...

My mind reeled, and suddenly, the blocked memories my brain had concealed from me flooded back into my conscious thoughts. Through what seemed like a thick haze to me, the conversation continued.

"A human being," he answered promptly, "Why do you ask? I look pretty good for my age, do I?"

"What did you say your name was, again?" Rosalie asked.

"Robin. Robin Kousier."

It hit then. The Cullens were vampires. And Robin? Robin was only mentioned on every other page of my diary.

The room swam around me, and my world went dark.


	13. Chapter 13

CHAPTER THIRTEEN:

When my body became reattached to my mind, I found myself on a comfortable bed. _Mmm … I love down comforters_ … I snuggled in closer under the blankets and tried to go back to sleep. But I couldn't. I was terribly tired—my body tried to tell me I was, anyway—but my mind was wired. It prodded and nudged me, bringing back every tiny detail of the evening before until it was impossible to keep my eyes closed. When they finally fluttered open, I heard a voice. A voice that washed over me like a comforting bath and sent shivers trickling down my spine.

"Good morning, Sleeping Beauty."

I turned my head and saw Robin, backlit against the unveiled window. I smiled sleepily at him and snuggled deeper under the covers.

"Am I still dreaming?" I asked.

He laughed. "No, you're not. Why would you think so?"  
I laughed. "Why doesn't that seem feasible? I've never had a bed quite this comfy before."

It was remarkable. Pillow-topped, in all likelihood. Absolutely divine. I closed my eyes again and savored the feeling of the soft gray light filtering in through the window and tickling my eyelids.

"I'm afraid you're awake, actually. It is … nine o'clock in the morning on June 21, 2008. You've just had an incredibly long night's sleep, and I've been waiting for you to wake up for the last … twenty minutes."

My forehead wrinkled, but my eyes didn't open. "I'm sorry. Why didn't you just poke me or something?"

"Because I—" He stopped, hesitating for the first time in the conversation. "You're cute when you sleep," he finished sheepishly.

I laughed, blushing. "You've _got_ to be kidding me. Didn't my snoring bother you?"

"Not really."

I groaned. "So I really _did_ snore?"  
"Only a little. Mostly you sort of … sighed."

"Sighed?"

"Yeah. You know …" He sighed in a dainty, girly, feminine way, and I had to laugh. "And you sleep with both hands tucked under your head."

I laughed. "Like Princess Giselle?"

"Who's that?"

I opened my eyes and turned to him, resting my hands behind my head. "You really haven't seen _Enchanted_?"

He shrugged with a smile. "Nope. I don't really follow current events much. Or not trends, anyway."

I wrinkled my nose. "You make me feel so _juvenile_, old man."

He scoffed. "Old? I'll have you know I've been in a twenty-year-old body for three years now and I've _never_ run out of youthful hormones. I'm probably about as immature as any college guy you'll find."  
"Whatever. Show me a college guy who likes opera, and –"

"There are _plenty _ of college guys that like—"

"Straight ones?"

He stopped. "Well … _most_ of them don't, but—"

"I rest my case."

He glared at me, but laughed. "Fine. You win. I'm old. Happy now?"

I frowned. "Not exactly. I … I still don't get how it works. As a matter of fact, I don't quite understand why I'm not freaking out right _now_."

"About the age difference?"

I blushed. It was the first thing he'd said that really paired us off. _Does this mean he felt the same thing I did?_

"I guess so."

"Well … I _feel_ pretty young."

"You said your body is twenty?"

"Approximately."

"And your mind? How long have you existed on this planet?"

"Oh, on _this_ planet? Not very long. You see, I recently moved here from planet Xorgon in the—"  
I burst out laughing. "You're right. You're twenty, inside and out."

"Ouch. I was hoping it'd take longer to convince you."  
"So … were you really born in—what was it? 1945?"

"Yup."  
My nose wrinkled. "That's older than my _dad_."

He grinned. "That's older than most people's dads."

"He was born in 1949."  
"Really? Where?"

"Uh … Provo? Utah? But he pretty much grew up in the suburbs of Chicago."  
"Awesome. Me, too!"

"Seriously? That's where _I_ grew up!"

He grinned. "Well, it's a small world, I guess."

I grinned back. "It's a big city."

He adjusted his position on the little stool he was sitting on. He looked uncomfortable.

"Want to sit down?" I patted the bed next to me and scooted over.

"No, really. It's—"

"You looked uncomfortable. Just sit down."

He scrutinized my face, and I was suddenly very conscious of the fact that I hadn't washed my face or brushed my teeth or fixed my hair or …

"I'm sorry, what?" I asked. He'd been speaking and I hadn't been listening.

"I can tell you're too polite to ask," he said.

"Ask what?"

He rolled his eyes. "What I am? How it happened? What the effects are?"

"Oh, that."

He looked at me critically. "Your mind hasn't fully wrapped around it yet. I'm sure you'll get there."

I could almost hear my brain booting up—clicking and whirring like an old hard drive. I smiled a little sleepily and shrugged serenely. He laughed at me.

I reached out a hand to him, and he took it; his fingers stroked the back of my hand. He kissed my hand and then laced our fingers together. I could feel his racing pulse—it almost matched mine—and I smiled a little.

"What do you want to do today?" I yawned.

He grinned. "What do _you_ want to do?"

I glared at him. "Let's not go down that road. You're the boy. You decide."

He laughed at me. "Wow. Traditional gender roles, huh?"

I shrugged. "I've always been a fan. Not everyone is, though."

"But you are?"

I was a little defensive. "I like to be protected. Cared for. And I like to make people happy. It just works out for me that way."

The look he gave me then was unlike any I'd ever received. I felt my heart sort of … swell in my chest, until it became difficult to breathe. He smiled a slightly lopsided grin at me, and my heart pounded in my stomach. Right after this, my stomach growled, and I felt curiously hungry.

"Ooh …"

"Are you hungry?" he asked.

"… yeah, actually. Usually I'm not hungry for breakfast. I've sort of weaned myself off of it."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means I have a long history of randomly eating in the middle of the night and sleeping past breakfast in the morning."

He clucked his tongue and shook his head at me. "But it's the most important meal of the day! Come on. I'll fix you something."

"No way! I'll make _you_ something. You like French toast?"

He grinned at me and shook his head. "You're incredible," he muttered.

I peeled myself out of bed and stretched, yawning and making my usual wake-up routine chipmunk noises. He laughed at me, and I let it pass, walking past him toward the bathroom, grabbing my duffel bag on the way.

I tried as hard as I could to be fast, but it was hard. I fluffed my hair, trying to make the best of its weirdly semi-wavy texture, until I finally convinced it to trickle down my back in an only slightly frizzy golden mane. I washed my face, brushed my teeth, and smudged on some make-up as quickly as I could. When I finally finished, I was wearing one of my favorite outfits—floral skirt, camisole, cardigan and canvas sneakers—and I was feeling pretty good about myself.

I skipped down the stairs and into the living room, where most of the family was languidly assembled, draped across couches with various literature, occasionally murmuring a hushed remark to the one sitting near them. It was so solemn it made me want to start a karaoke dance party right then and there.

"Hey everyone!" I said cheerily, waving a little. The assembly glanced up and smiled. I went to sit next to Bella. "Hey, Bella. How'd you sleep?"

"Fine," she said. Her voice was just a little bit raspy, as if she'd only gotten two-thirds the sleep she ought to have had.

"Nice to hear."

She turned back to her tattered paperback and leaned once more into Edward's embrace. I kept talking, even though I felt a little unwelcome.

"So … have you eaten breakfast yet?"

She shook her head. "I … no, not yet."

"Aren't you hungry?" I looked at the clock. It was almost nine-thirty.

"Not really. Not yet." Her stomach growled, giving her away. Edward looked at her, concerned.

"Hungry, Bella?"

Her cheeks flushed a little. "I'm okay. I can wait …" But he was already gone. Edward re-entered the living room moments later.

"There's a problem, Esme."

Esme looked up, her caramel hair swishing over her shoulder. "What's wrong, Edward?"

"No food for our guests."  
She scowled. "Oh, dear. I knew I was forgetting _something_ …"

"Not a big deal," Edward said. "I can go pick something up. Bella? What do you want?"

"I'll come with you," she said, rising.  
"Can I come, too?" I asked.

" … sure," Edward said, after looking at Bella's face to see if she'd mind.

On the way to the store, I sat in the backseat and stared out the window. I could feel a tense vibe—as if they were being silent only for my benefit, and they were itching to discuss private matters. I felt like I was intruding on a personal conversation, and I half-wished that I had stayed back at the house.

"So …" I finally said, shattering the silence, "you're vampires, right?"

Edward smiled, and flashed a glance at me before looking back at the road—and it was a good thing, too; he was going about thirty miles over the speed limit.

"That was quick."  
I shrugged. "I had help," I said, nodding toward Bella.

"Oh, really?" Edward looked over at Bella, raising an eyebrow.

She stared straight ahead, unsmiling. "She's just as involved as I was, Edward."  
His jaw tightened, and he visibly winced a little. "You're right," he murmured distractedly.

I looked back and forth from one to the other, my pulse quickening. "Uh … Sorry. But … how am I involved, exactly?"  
Bella looked out of her window, and Edward scratched his chin as if searching for the right words. "Has Bella told you anything about our … special circumstance?"

"Uh … not really."  
"All right. I … as you have apparently already guessed, am a … a vampire. I drink blood to sustain myself, but have sworn off of human blood. We all have."

I smiled. "That's comforting."

"It is a difficult addiction to conquer, but we're all working hard at it, and we feed on animal blood to distract our constant thirst."

"Makes sense to me."  
"However … very _very_ occasionally, a vampire will find a human that has an unusually appealing scent to them."

"What do you mean?"

"It's called 'la tua cantante', because their blood seems to sing to that specific vampire."

"Is it … a bad thing?"

"_Yes_," Edward said, "it is incredibly difficult to resist. The closest thing I've found to compare it to is—"

"A heroin addict," Bella finished.

"Wow," I whispered. "So … you have one of these humans that's practically impossible to resist? Don't you have to fight constantly not to kill them? Or … have you already?"

I saw Bella squeeze Edward's hand on the front seat.

"No. I haven't killed her," Edward said, sounding subtly triumphant.

"I … it's Bella. Isn't it," I said softly, not phrasing it as a question.

He smiled. "Yes."

"Wow … in that case … this is probably the best love story I've ever heard of."  
Bella smiled. "Better than _Pride and Prejudice_, the greatest love story of all time?"

I laughed. "Well … I don't know. Quite possibly, but I don't know yet."

"At any rate, Mary-Celeste," Edward said, "what I was trying to tell you is … you are one of these humans."

"I smell good?"  
"That's an understatement."

"Really? Thanks, I guess. Is it to you? Or someone else?"  
"It's Carlisle, Mary-Celeste."


End file.
